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Poorest city folk hit hardest by pollution
PEOPLE living in the most deprived parts of Sheffield are hit worst by the effects of pollution, environmental campaigners claimed today.
The findings of two separate pieces of research, by the Environment Agency and the Friends of the Earth (FoE), have re-ignited calls for the controversial waste incinerator at Bernard Road to be shut down.
A report from FoE today claimed half the country's dumps were based in its poorest areas, as the Environment Agency published a new study showing deprived communities bear the burden of environmental problems including air pollution, factory emissions and flooding.
Both studies coincide with research by NHS bosses into increased numbers of reported health defects suffered by people living near Parkwood landfill site in Shirecliffe, one of the most deprived areas of the country.
Sheffield campaigner Graham Wroe said: "Sheffield's incinerator is in one of the most deprived areas of the city and people who live near it worry about the emissions from the chimney.
"We suffer from traffic pollution and poor air quality and the incinerator adds to these problems.
"The city council should be looking at ways to reduce waste and increase recycling, instead of building a new incinerator which will pollute us for the next 30 years."
Friends of the Earth's waste campaigner Anna Watson said: "We applaud the Environment Agency for commissioning and publishing this research, and urge them to tackle the problem.
"They can make a start by objecting to large incinerators that take waste from all communities but end up being built in deprived areas."
The Bernard Road plant was at the centre of a storm last year, when environmentalists Rachel Murray, Huw Williams and Chris Holden were convicted of causing criminal damage to the facility by climbing it and daubing 'toxic crime' on the chimney stack.
Planning councillors last year voted to expand the plant, despite massive opposition by campaigners and residents.
Coun Gill Furniss, cabinet member for development, environment and leisure, said the council was aware of the links between pollution and deprived residential areas.
"We've taken positive measures to tackle this problem," she said.
"We are concerned about the links between air pollution and traffic emissions and have addressed this in our transport policies, through road safety measures and air qualitycorridors, developed in association with our partners.
"We have also taken the concern of local residents about the situation at Parkwood landfill site very seriously and are working closely with tenants' representatives and the Environment Agency to deal with this in our efforts to close the gap between communities in Sheffield," Coun Furniss added.
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Weather for Sheffield
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 23 C
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Wind direction: North east
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